Build a Sentence Analyzer - Step 1

JavaScript
1

Guys, seriously?

On the tin, this workshop’s goal is supposedly so we could " review how to work with JavaScript loops by building a sentence analyzer app. "

The step 1 asks to create a function, and give it a parameter. I took this instruction for the face value, created the function skeleton and expected to smoothly proceed to the next step to get further instructions to build it.

But, to my surprise, the code test threw these errors:

// running tests
3. Your getVowelCount function should return a number.
4. When the sentence is "Apples are tasty fruits", the getVowelCount function should return 7.
5. When the sentence is "Hello, World!", the function should return 3.
6. Your vowel count should be case-insensitive.
7. Your getVowelCount function should return the correct vowel count for any sentence.
// tests completed

I am confused. Is this a workshop to introduce us into using loops or is it a challenge?

2

Please post a link to what you are working on. I can’t comment without seeing which project this is.

3

Sure, here is the link to the workshop.

Thank you for chipping in.

4

And what code did you write?

To begin, create a getVowelCount function with a parameter called sentence. Your function should return the total number of vowels in a sentence.

It needs to do all of this.

5

I created a function as I was asked.

function getVowelCount(sentence) {
return total;
}
6

That’s a syntax error as total was not defined.

You also seem to be missing the logic to count the vowels.

7

Are you kidding me?

Until now, every workshop has guided us step by step—hand-holding and spoon-feeding us through each concept.

Sure, your labs have pushed us into the deep end at times so we could learn to swim on our own, but only after a workshop or two had gently shown us how.

Are you abandoning that approach? I ask because I’ve been a supporter—both in participation and financially—for years, largely because of those “one-baby-step-at-a-time” workshops.

There are plenty of other platforms for challenges. What makes this one special is the hand-holding first, challenges second.

8

No, I am not kidding. It does look like this project expects you to use previously taught ideas to create this function.

Baby stepping needs to graduate to bigger independent steps, and I think that’s the goal of these workshops - giving a level of exercises between ‘one baby step’ and ‘do a whole project’.

9

Thanks. Are you a member of staff?

10

I am a moderator. I am not staff. I don’t have enough time to volunteer much for curriculum development.

11

I totally understand. Thanks again for chiming in.

I’ll check the rest of the workshops. It would be a shame if they were all designed more like challenges.

12

moving forward in the curriculum, workshops will be less handholding, as there is no need to check if you wrote a function definition correctly the 100th time

13

There is a mix of step-by-step workshops and more independent labs. imo it works very well. There will always be a part where you feel unready, but that’s good you need to push yourself to move forward.

You can make it step by step yourself by analyzing the problem and thinking of Step 1 yourself. What information will you need to gather, what code do you need to step forward through the task.